Migration hardliners Hungary have also joined the row which threatens to destabilise the European Union’s beloved freedom of movement.

Orban threw his support behind Austria telling state media MTI: "Hungary will not conclude a bilateral agreement with Germany until there is an agreement between Germany and Austria.

The Austrians have not hidden the fact they are furious they have been left to react to whatever Germany decides to do at their joint border.

Angela Merkel and her Christian Social Union ally Mr Seehofer managed to reach a compromise after their own domestic migration row threatened to collapse the three-month-old Grand Coalition.

Mrs Merkel, the German Chancellor, travelled to Brussels for June’s European Council summit, where she endured a nine-hour marathon debate on how to find a EU-wide answer to the bloc’s migration worries.

Upon returning to Berlin, she held talks with Mr Seehofer who forced a compromise on Germany’s migration policy after he threatened to resign from his role as interior minister.

Hungary will not conclude a bilateral agreement with Germany until there is an agreement between Germany and Austria

Viktor Orban

The pair agreed on a compromise which would see transit zones established on Germany’s southern border to allow faster deportations of refugees who are not entitled to seek asylum in the country.

Mrs Merkel said: “After a hard struggle and difficult days, this is a good compromise.”

The German Chancellor said the agreement “allows us to preserve the spirit of partnership in the EU”.

However, their decision brought into question the EU’s beloved Schengen free-travel zone as Austrian Chancellor Mr Kurz and Italy deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini said they would introduce their own border controls if Germany was to go through with its plan.

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A statement from Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said: “Should this agreement thus become the German government’s position, we feel compelled to take action and the federal government is therefore prepared to take special measures to protect our southern borders.”

An European Commission spokeswoman said events are being closely monitored but admitted the EU won’t act to protect its interests until details are finalised.

Mr Seehofer will have to explain his proposals to Mr Kurz and his Austrian counterpart Herbert Kickl in an attempt to smooth relations between Berlin and Vienna.

Mr Kickl described the deal a “surprise”, adding: “What exactly it means, neither me nor any other member of the government is in a position to say.

Angela Merkel fights for future in parliament

Thu, June 28, 2018

Merkel delivered a government declaration to the members of the German parliament Bundestag prior a meeting of the European Council on 28 and 29 June and the NATO summit on 11 and 12 July 2018.